Messier 79 is a globular cluster in Lepus, 42,700 light-years away
Messier 79 (M79, NGC 1904, MWSC 0528) is a globular cluster in the constellation Lepus , 42,700 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 8.2 and spans 8.7′ of sky, about 108 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in January.
Globular cluster: a ball of 100,000 to a few million old stars packed into a sphere about 100 light-years across. About 160 orbit the Milky Way, most of them in the halo around its center.
Finding Messier 79 from Nihal
Nihal
Messier 79
LEPUS
Messier 79 lies 3.9° south of Nihal , the magnitude 2.8 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Messier 79 is highest in the evening in January
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -3° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -29° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -52° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 15° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -11° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -29° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -48° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -63° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 25° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 12° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -28° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -51° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -71° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -69° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -47° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 32° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -77° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -74° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -47° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 22° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -50° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -77° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -73° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -46° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -19° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 51° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 7° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -19° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -47° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -71° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -68° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 36° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 63° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 59° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 12° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -42° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -62° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -60° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 42° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 72° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 67° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 43° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -36° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -51° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -7° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 21° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 47° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 78° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 72° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 19° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -29° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -44° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -42° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 51° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 78° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 72° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 48° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -22° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 52° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 72° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 68° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 48° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -24° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -11° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 51° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 65°N, and never sets south of 65°S.
Messier 79 is 42,700 light-years away
The light seen from Messier 79 tonight left it about 42,700 years ago. It ranks 65 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of Messier 79
Messier 79 catalog data
Field Value
Designations M79, NGC 1904, MWSC 0528 Type globular cluster Constellation Lepus Right ascension (J2000) 05h 24.2m Declination (J2000) -24° 31′ Magnitude 8.2 Apparent size 8.7′ True size 108 light-years Distance 42,700 light-years (Baumgardt & Vasiliev 2021) Best month January Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 12
